HOW SUN BECAME ELITE
WHEN Touk Miller first arrived at the Suns at the end of 2014 he would often be left frustrated by the contrasting training habits between he and then-captain Gary Ablett.
Miller concedes he was left perplexed by Ablett’s ability to seemingly cruise around the field without much exertion before eclipsing all before him on game day.
On the other hand Miller ran himself into the ground, grinding away every day without getting the rewards while averaging 20 disposals a game.
Now, Miller has become the greatest ball user at the Suns since the dual-Brownlow Medallist, rolling off nine straight games with 30 or more disposals, something not even Ablett did at the Suns.
Miller voiced his confusion to coaches, analysing videos endlessly trying to find a way to match a man who will go down as one of the greatest of all time.
Seven seasons into his AFL career and Miller has forged his own path to elite level football, not by mirroring Ablett but by building a game off his insatiable appetite to improve on the back of a high work rate.
“I remember those conversations (with coaches). Looking back now I know a bit more about football and that Gary knew how to run better patterns,” Miller mused.
“Back then I was thinking, how does he find so much of the footy and get up and down the ground without the same work rate I would go with? He ran smarter patterns, knew where the footy was going and knew what his strengths were.
“I feed off that. I work to my strengths now and that is my work rate. If I can get to more contests it helps me stay in the game a lot more.
“Gary is Gary too, he was on another level compared to anyone else in the AFL world. Over the course of seven years I have built a solid base of consistency and it’s something I can fall back on if things don’t work well.
“I’m not just flash in the pan. I have tried to build over the course over a number of years to be the best player I can be and that will help me in the long run.
“Although it was a bit frustrating back then, I’m seeing the rewards now.”
Former Suns assistant Matthew Lappin has labelled Miller the best two-way runner in the AFL.
Miller said he accepts his defensive sprints will hurt but never questions if he will make the effort.
“I know I can do it but it does hurt,” Miller said.
“I view it as, if I’m going back defensively then I’m going back to help the team. I don’t see it as a burden, you just have to go.
“I have the capabilities to go so I don’t question it. It’s just a matter of getting it done.”
Miller has been labelled by many as a candidate for the All-Australian team and while he said it was humbling, finishing off the season the way he started it is his major focus.